Your Worst Nightmare
by idealwolffang
Summary: The Joker kicks Harley Quinn out... again. However, this time Harley is determined to prove to the world that she doesn't need her puddin'. Instead, she tries to join one of the most anti-social rogues around, The Master of Fear. Luckily, they already have a history together. Rated T for dark themes.
1. Prolouge

Crane would always remember the first day that'd he'd met her. At the time, he'd never guessed that this strange girl sitting across from him would have any affect on his life other than mild and passing amusement, but it also wasn't the first time he'd ever been wrong.

"Call me Harley. Everyone does!" The smiling intern said, sitting across the desk from Jonathan. He'd thought her odd from the moment he'd seen her, and talking to her had only reaffirmed his original opinions. Her shrill voice and poorly-hidden accent hurt Dr. Crane's ears quite a bit, and she gave off the countenance of an over excited puppy, and the appearance of a vapid city girl.

"I'd rather not, thank you. And you are sure that you want to work here, Miss Quinzel?" he asked, scanning over her file.

"I'm certain, Dr. Crane. There's just something fascinating about these super-criminal minds. I've always been drawn to extreme personalities. There's such a glamor to them." She said, leaning forward excitedly.

"Yes. I do suppose there is something to be said about them… They can be quite… unpredictable." Jonathan Crane was very interested in this new intern. Despite her appearance and ways of speech, she was smart, certainly. Her work was well thought out and creative, and she could hold a solid conversation about very abstract theories.

"So am I in?" She asked, smiling sweetly.

"I believe that you are. Good luck, _Dr. _Quinzel_._" He smiled at her, and handed her the files of three inmates for her to work with. She rifled through the pages, crinkling paper drowning out the quiet of the room.

She flipped to the last one and stopped, looking back up with wide, blue eyes. "The Joker? I mean- are you sure? he's such a high profile-"

"Yes, I'm certain. I want to give you some challenges while you're here, and I think you can handle it."

"But he's so-"

"Do you not think you can handle it?" Dr. Crane asked, smirking up at her in a challenging way. Her face stiffened and she jutted out her chin. He made a mental note of her behavior.

_Challenges. They _always _work._ Dr. Crane thought.

"I can do it. I'll _cure _The Joker," she said. As the door to his office closed, Jonathan leaned back in his chair, compiling the traits he'd noticed about her in his head. This intern would be interesting to work with.

He wondered how long she'd last.

* * *

Later that week, the new intern ended up in his office again.

"Doctor Crane?"

"What is it, Doctor Quinzel? I'm afraid I only have a minute." He had a meeting he had to be to in less than five minutes.

"Please, call me Harley," She said, sitting down across the desk from him. "I just wanted to ask a question about Julie Reynolds… the patient from the A wing."

"The Catatonic? Yes. She just came in last week. I assume your session went well?"

"Well… I believe she also suffers from Diogenes Syndrome. She is refusing help of any type, and she's been collecting _dust bunnies_ and other equally strange things _on purpose._ It sounds like hoarding, which is alarming. She also-" Jonathan Crane nodded and held up a hand.

"I apologize for cutting you off, but I do need to leave. This really may be more serious than we first believed," Dr. Crane muttered, cleaning off his glasses. "Her last therapist didn't see any problems… he thought that she was just refusing her mental state. Is that all, Miss Quinzel?"

"Well… shouldn't we start new treatments?"

"I plan to. I'm taking her off of your list and moving her to a full-time therapist in the B wing. She'll likely be here until she dies, sadly. But that is the way things tend to be with Diogenes. You are certain of this, correct?"

He looked up to see Harley biting her lip nervously. Classic self doubt- He knew she was right. He'd been watching over her patients. He'd come to the exact same conclusion.

Harley finally nodded and stood back up. "Thank you for your help, Doctor Crane."

"Oh- There's one more thing I wanted to ask you," He said, gesturing for her to sit down again. Crane looked down at his watch and sighed. He'd be late, but that wouldn't be too much of an issue. He was trusted enough that he could get away with it. This would be far more interesting and useful than anything in the meeting anyways. "How are your sessions with The Joker going?"

"Slow. He spends most of the time joking around with me or even just babbling nonsense. He seems reluctant to answer any questions I have."

"Ah. He does that with many therapists. Do not worry. It's normal."

He couldn't help but smile. She was lying to him. The Joker had spoken quite openly with her- not about anything useful, or anything new, but still just as openly as he was speaking with her now.

"I'm going to keep trying- I don't know what else to do."

"That's the right mindset to have, Dr. Quinzel." Crane gathered his papers and stood up. "Thank you for meeting with me. We'll talk soon.

"Thank you, Dr. Crane," She said, standing up and walking out of the room, her steps quick and light.

It wasn't very often that an intern impressed him in their first week.

* * *

"Dr. Quinzel, How have your sessions with the Joker been going?" Dr. Crane asked after her first two weeks of being an intern.

"He is showing signs of Anti-social-personality disorder, as well as Hypomania as far as I can tell," Harley replied, shrugging.

"And do you think that we are helping him?" Crane asked, staring at her coldly.

"I... couldn't say yet..." She sighed, rubbing her temples. "He's such a confusing patient. I feel like he's getting better, but I also just feel like we're moving so slowly, it's almost like treading water."

"I understand exactly where you are coming from," Crane said, sitting down to talk with the girl. "I have sessions with and ASPD patient, and we are getting nowhere. I am considering sending him to a higher-class asylum for extensive care that we don't offer here."

"It's just... The Joker shows no remorse for what he's done. It's been nearly impossible to diagnose him, let along know if it's possible to cure him. He keeps shifting his stories and changing the topic... I can't get him to tell me anything about his childhood or his relations with anyone! I'm not certain he even had a childhood or any friends." Harley ranted, drumming her fingers on the desk. She needed to vent to someone. Might as well be someone who understood.

"We aren't even sure if The Joker remembers his past at all," Dr. Crane said, attempting to make Harley feel better. "He's told different psychologists different accounts, all similar, but large details keep changing."

"He has?" Harley sighed and rubbed her temples. "But he..."

"I'm going to transfer him to another psychiatrist," Dr. Crane said, nodding. "He is obviously stressing you out." He started to scribble a note to himself.

"Please don't. I feel... I feel like I'm actually getting somewhere with him, just slowly. I just needed to talk it over with someone. Please, just let me keep on trying. I promised you I'd cure him on my first day, remember?" Harley said, a spark igniting in her blue eyes.

"Are you sure, Dr. Quinzel?" Crane asked, staring at her over his glasses.

"Yes. I _will _cure The Joker."

* * *

Crane had found his interest in the new intern only growing with each passing day. The way she walked, laughed, spoke... everything was interesting to him.

She was brilliant. Smarter than many of his coworkers. He'd already promised her a job once she graduated, but she still had a long way to go before then.

He just imagined them working side-by-side forever. He wanted it dearly, more than anything else.

It was something he never would've thought that he'd want.

Dr. Quinzel had been working at Arkham for a two months now. She had gone through several patients. Some were declared sane, while others were transferred to new doctors. The only one that she had kept for the entire time was The Joker. He kept watching, seeing what she did. She handled it very well, bt he was starting to worry. The Joker kept trying to get her to do _something, _but he didn't know what it was yet.

He was starting to worry that they'd lose her. He'd first assigned her the Joker because he'd wanted to see it happen, to watch her life crumble before her eyes because of a man locked in a cell. But now, he just wanted to see her smile every day. He wanted to see her working and thriving.

He had to end it. He couldn't lose her.

He'd left something in Joker's cell, just a key hidden under his pillow. Joker had used that to his advantage and fled the scene without another word. He'd only been declared missing an hour ago.

He'd be back before too long. Jonathan could send easily send the police an anonymous note about his hiding places. He'd been compiling a list from what he'd figured out from his own minimal conversations with the Joker.

The door to his office opened, and a familiar voice filled the room. "You wanted to see me, Dr. Crane?"

"Ah, thank you. Please sit down. I wanted to talk o you about The Joker," He said. Her eyes widened, but she nodded and sat down next to him.

"The Joker? What about him?"

"He's gone. He seems to have escaped."

"Escaped... but he promised that-" She cut herself off suddenly, then began to speak again in a quieter voice. "He said he wouldn't' do that. He told me that he wanted to get better!"

"He's promised a lot. He hasn't kept a single one of them," Crane said, rolling his eyes.

"I suppose I should write that up on his file?" she asked, biting her lip.

"That won't be necessary. I am transferring The Joker to a different Psychologist when he returns," Doctor Crane stated, looking at his watch. He had to leave soon. He didn't want drama, if he could avoid it.

"But I was making so much progress with him! Why stop now?" She asked, her voice near to a whine.

"Because he has killed more therapists than I would like to admit. It's dangerous for a novice like you to continue working with him. He;s obviously lied to you and manipulated you, and I can't let it go any further. You'll be killed."

"If he's so dangerous, why did you assign him to me in the first place?" Harley demanded, slamming her fist onto her desk.

He stopped for a second. The truth was that he wanted to scare her, to see her crumble under the stress. He couldn't tell her that, could he?

He decided to only tell her a part of it. To twist the full truth. "I wanted to scare you. Most interns don't realize the… strain that their job imposes. So I gave you a patient who could get into your mind. One who could show you exactly what we deal with in Arkham."

"But I wasn't scared. He never did anything to harm me, mentally or otherwise," She said, suddenly confused. "The most he's done was not keep a promise..."

"I know. That is _exactly _how he is getting into your head. You'll be given Pamela Isley instead. I'm certain you've heard of her. It should fill your need for a 'big personality'."

Harley sighed and nodded, feeling tears well up. She wouldn't cry in front of her boss.

"Goodbye, Dr. Quinzel. I apologize for leading you astray.

* * *

Nighttime at Arkham was something that normally scared people.

It was thrilling to Jonathan Crane. The shadows, the screaming… it all was beautiful. So much knowledge lay waiting in the dark… waiting for him to stumble upon it.

His tests had overtaken his life. He rarely thought of anything else now. He'd only been able to drive one man to the breaking point, but it just proved that it was possible. His formula would be perfected one day, then the world could be changed for the better. After all, what is the life of a few criminals as payment for a full understanding of the world's greatest power?

_"Fear." _The word rolled off his tongue smooth as silk and cold as ice. The word held power. The poor patient squirmed as he took the syringe in his hand, filled with what he was sure would be a success. So many hallucinogens... so much funding behind this one drug… it was almost as if that syringe was filled with his own life force.

But isn't that what fear is? To fear is to survive another day, and to never fear is to die. Fear was ingrained in people _because _it kept people alive.

The needle slipped easily into the patient, who gasped at the pain. He watched as the toxin entered her bloodstream… and he waited. Waited for success.

"What..?" The woman gasped, her pupils dilating dramatically almost immediately. "Where did…" She stopped speaking, breathing heavily. Then she screamed.

Crane smiled beneath his mask. The toxin was more fast-acting than his last had been. So long as the effects lasted for more than a few seconds, this formula would be a great basis for many new ones.

So many possibilities riding on this one singular test.

She looked about her as if surrounded and screamed again. Crane stuffed a rag into her mouth, and stood back, observing her motions.

Then he heard the door close behind him.

He whipped around, feeling his heart rate rise dramatically. He ran to the door, his long, spindly legs taking him there in only a few strides. He whipped the door open and held his needle tightly. He really didn't want to get rid of a body tonight, but what had to be done had to be done.

He looked down the hallway, only to see his new intern sprinting down the hallway as fast as she could.

He sighed. This would be even harder to cover up than if it had been the night guard. She wasn't even supposed to be here anymore.

He couldn't kill her anyways. He'd grown to respect her too much. He was fairly certain that his other coworkers would drive him insane if she wasn't there.

"Dr. Quinzel? What are you doing down here?" He said, trying to keep his voice cool and calm. The intern looked back, her blue eyes wide as he approached her. She was frozen to her spot as she looked up at him.

He'd never felt so tall as he did now. Her fear filled him with energy. Power surged through his blood like never before.

She'd never looked so beautiful to him as she did now.

"I-I just needed s-some p-painkillers..." She stammered out. He removed his mask, smiling as her eyes widened again. "Dr. Crane? ...What are you doing?" She asked quietly, glancing back at the door. Muffled screams were coming from behind it.

"Succeeding," Dr. Crane said, "Greatly succeeding." He released her shoulder and stared her in the eyes. "You are a bright girl, Dr. Quinzel. I'd rather not have to get rid of you. So are you going to keep this little run-in a secret?"

"This isn't right, Dr. Crane. Whatever you're doing, it's hurting others," Harley said, furrowing her brow.

"Alright then… perhaps we could trade. You keep my secret, I'll keep yours," he offered. Harley looked up at him, her eyes betraying herself.

He already knew that she'd been sneaking in to see the Joker, but now she'd all but admitted it.

"I don't know what you mean, Dr. Crane. I have nothing to hide," She said, smiling nervously. He'd seen her manipulate the other workers into doing little tasks for her, bu now that she was under stress, her skills seemed to have dissolved. He shook his head.

"Perhaps I am thinking of another one of my interns who sneaks into the C wing late at night to visit cell 44." Harley stepped backwards, shaking her head.

"I haven't been-"

"I've known from the beginning," he said, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

"And you never exposed me... why?" She asked.

"I never exposed you, no." He stopped there, not even sure about why he didn't report it. It was more than enough to get her fired for good and ruin her career. He normally would have enjoyed watching her life spin out of control after that.

There was something different about her. He didn't want her to leave. She was the only coworker that he was ever excited to see and to talk with.

Harley looked down, hiding her blue eyes behind her bangs, before looking back up at him, something shining in them that stood out from the fear that he'd seen in them only moments ago. The same determination that she'd shown when she was fist assigned The Joker. He noted the familiar expression.

"Deal. I… I won't tell," Harley said quickly before turning her face away from her boss. "May I please have some painkillers, though? The Joker just used my last one."

* * *

Jonathan Crane sighed. There was now a loose end that he couldn't quite bring himself to take care of. It'd be easy to finish her off. Flood her office with some potent toxin and wait for her to die from heart failure. Simple, easy, and almost untraceable. Sure, the toxin itself would be easy to find, but who could trace it to him? The crime was flawless, easy. It was power.

But he couldn't do it. Jonathan Crane had always thought his heart cold and dark, but he was wrong.

_She _was brilliant. _She _was beautiful. _She _was manipulative. _She _was perfect.

_Somehow, The Master of Fear had fallen in love._

* * *

**_A.N: Here is the first re-written chapter. It's just all the flashback scenes combined into one really big one. I'll get the next one up (hopefully) this week, but finals are coming up soon. I'll try and get these out as fast as I can, though. _**


	2. Chapter 1

Harley gripped her suitcase tightly. She was angry. Angry at The Joker. Angry at Batman. Angry at all of Gotham. As far as she was concerned, they could all go into a hole and die.

She'd been kicked out… again. But this time, she felt different. She didn't mourn the loss of her _puddin', _she didn't feel any desire to return right now.

She'd probably end up going back. She always did. She knew her own patterns- it wouldn't be long before Joker called her apologized, and she'd go running back to him, but she wasn't hurrying to get there. The bruises were still very fresh,

She shivered in the chilly rain, wishing that she'd thought to grab a coat. _Of course it'd rain now, _she brooded, huddling in on herself. She needed to get inside soon. At least the rain his the tears that flowed down her cheeks.

She usually turned to Poison Ivy in these times of need. She was a true friend, never turning Harley away for any reason.

"No… Red's in Arkham…" She mumbled, pulling her suitcase closer for comfort. She was starting to feel the anger subside and the depression setting in.

And Selina… she was always busy chasing Batman. Harley definitely didn't want to be part of that.

Who else could she go to?

_Penguin? _No.

_Hatter?_ Definitely not. The last thing she wanted was to be his Alice.

_Riddler?_ He was tiring to spend more than an hour with. Plus, she never could solve his riddles. He probably saw her as a waste of time.

Harley's mind faltered and a tear leaked out of her eye and rolled down her cheek. She was so unsure of her future… but wasn't that just what a Rogue's life was? Danger and uncertainty? She'd always wondered what it was like as a psychologist, and now she had the answer, and she didn't like it.

_I want to go back. I want to go back, _She thought, thinking back at her college days. She'd been happy and successful. _I want to forget this all and go back._

It was impossible. No matter what she did, she always went back to the false promises that the life of Harley Quinn promised.

_You can return for a little while. You can go back to being an intern again. You can try it all over, without the Joker. You can try and reset it all, _she thought.

She smiled slightly, feeling a fleeting flutter of hope rise out of her sinking heart.

_Surely Dr. Crane couldn't turn a poor, lost intern away. Surely, he could help her._

* * *

Harley wandered near The Narrows. Surely she could find out exactly where The Scarecrow was hiding here. Rogues wandered the alleys freely, and at least _one _person had to have information on Jonathan Crane.

The stench of cigarette smoke hung in the air, making her cringe. She'd always hated the smell, but The Narrows was gonna smell like The Narrows was gonna smell.

She walked into the first likely bar, and ordered some water. She _wanted_ to be drunk, to forget everything… but she also wanted to find Jonathan. She couldn't do that if she was too tipsy to walk straight.

"Harley Quinn? What are _you _doing here this fine evening?" A familiar voice asked. Harley set down her drink and sighed.

"Hello Eddie."

"Is something wrong, Harley? Surely the Joker didn't…" The Riddler stopped short, not wanting to finish his sentence. "I'm sorry, Harley."

"I thought he loved me… but I'm beginning to doubt… but I still…" Harley broke down, thee tears streaming down her cheeks. She wiped them away and hoped that Riddler hadn't seen them. Here eyes were still blurred, making the glass sitting in front of her seem a million miles away.

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked, sitting next to her. Harley just nodded, barely even paying attention as he set his hand on her shoulder.

"I need to find Jonathan Crane. Do you know where he is?" She asked, her voice quivering. Edward's face brightened immediately.

"Of course I do. It's the job of a genius to know everything."

Harley just rolled her eyes. Edward's ego could easily be split among five individuals with extra to spare.

"He's hiding in an old farmhouse a few miles out of town. Why do you need to see _him, _of all people?"

"I feel like I can trust him. We met before we both went to crime," she said, smiling at the memories.

"Do you need a ride?" The Riddler asked, picking up his cane eagerly.

"Sure, Eddie. Thanks," Harley said, smiling weakly at him. Edward may have been annoying, narcissistic, and a little obsessed, but he really was quite sweet at heart… kinda.

* * *

Harley sighed and looked out the windows of the green car. she was quieter than usual, and Edward certainly noticed it.

"Riddle me this! If it's information you seek, come and find me. If it's pairs of letters you need, I have consecutively three," The Riddler said, a gleam coming to his eyes behind his mask.

"I'm not in the mood," she said dismissively, making the other Rogue pout.

"Come on now… this one is easy," he encouraged.

"All of them are easy to _you,_" Harley pointed out, a light, forced laugh entering her voice. The Riddler cringed at the sound of the strained laughter that he was so used to hearing come easily.

"That is true," He sighed, not seeing any answer coming from her. "Bookkeeper. You see…"

"I get it Eddie. Thank you for trying to cheer me up, but I really just don't feel like it right now," she said, cutting him off.

"I'm sorry Harley," The Riddler said again. He cursed himself under his breath as he exited Gotham's city limits. The farmhouse was only a mile or so away now.

That mile was driven in silence.

* * *

The Riddler stopped the car in front of the old farmhouse. It was run-down looking at best, with some of the window shutters hanging off of their hinges precariously and sagging steps.

"Thank you for everything, Eddie. I really needed your help tonight," Harley said, giving the man a hug. He smiled slightly, patting her on the back.

"Best of luck to you Harley," he said as she nodded and left the car.

The Riddler usually wasn't so much of a charitable type. Normally he wouldn't pay Harley much attention. He hadn't ever seen her as a particularly intelligent person.

However… seeing the normally laughing, bubbly blonde in such a depressed and… tragic mood. He couldn't ignore that. He prided himself on being better than that sadistic clown who couldn't recognize love from a punch in the face.

The Riddler prided himself on having something that could be mistaken for a heart.

* * *

Harley knocked feebly on the door, only to be met with silence.

"Professor Crane?" she called in softly, trying not to let her voice quaver. "It's me… Harleen."

She hadn't used her real name for some time now… She'd all but left it behind. Why she used it now... she didn't have any idea. It just seemed right.

The door opened slowly, and a tall, spindly man looked down at her through rectangle lasses. "Hello child. What brings you here?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I need someone to stay with…" Harley said, feeling her eyes water and watching as his face blurred behind the tears.

To say that Jonathan Crane wasn't a little shocked by the blonde's demeanor was an understatement. He had never seen her like this… not at all.

"What happened?" He asked, hurriedly ushering her in and sitting her at an old crate that he was using as a table.

"Mistah J threw me out.. again. I had a suggestion about our plan… and then he got mad and punched me… and…" Harley broke into unintelligible sobs, unable to continue. She rocked back and forth slowly, tears running freely down her cheeks. "Please Jonny," She pleaded. "I need you to help me."

_That clown has no right,_ He thought, staring at the broken girl sitting before him. There was no part of her that seemed unhurt. Now that he looked, he saw faded bruises and scars on her arms and wrists. There was a large bruise forming on her right eye, and a huge welt on her shoulder that barely poked out from the shirt she was wearing. In their line of work, wounds were common, but it just seemed… excessive to him. It seemed wrong. He sat down next to her, not entirely sure what to say.

"Cheer up, child. You can stay here," He said, awkwardly placing his hand on her back in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture. "I promise to keep you safe until you feel ready to leave."

Harley nodded and closed her eyes. She looked exhausted. Her left eyes was forming a large black ring around it.

He didn't know what he was doing. He'd given up years ago, after she'd left with Joker. He'd tried to forget her and move on. For the longest time, he'd been certain that he'd succeeded.

But like an old habit, it didn't take much for him to suddenly remember everything that he'd admired about her.

"I have a couch upstairs. It's a little threadbare and lumpy, but it should do better than a sleeping bag on the ground," he said, standing up and walking towards the rickety staircase. Harley followed silently, ghostly footsteps echoing throughout the still house.

"Thank you, Jonny. I knew I could trust you."


	3. Chapter 2

While Crane would never admit it, he had a lot of respect for Harleen Quinzel. She was one of the few people that he could tolerate being around, even if she had changed when she met The Joker. Her bright attitude had never annoyed him as much as he thought it should have, and she was knowledgeable enough to hold interesting conversations with, so long as The Joker wasn't around. Something about that clown changed her, but Jonathan had known her before she had been tainted. Brilliant, cheerful, and beautiful.

He really missed that Harley.

Jonathan had been up for a while when Harley arose, sliding down the dusty bannister with a giddy energy. He himself had been peacefully reading _Phobias: The Science of Fear_, a personal favorite of his.

"Do ya have any grub, Jonny? I can make some breakfast, if you want." Jonathan cringed at the use of the nickname that she had assigned to him several years ago, and still insisted on using

"I've taken care of that, child," Jonathan said, holding up his plain toast and mug of coffee. "There's some for you in the kitchen."

Harley took off after the food, humming happily. It was a stark difference to her attitude the night before, but Harley had always expressed somewhat erratic mood patterns.

"You know Jonny, maybe I could help you," Harley said, approaching with her own piece of toast, which she'd slathered in strawberry jam.

"Pray tell.. what do you mean, child?" He asked, raising a single eyebrow.

"Well… I don't know what I want to do in life now," she said, pausing slightly before continuing. "So… maybe I could stay here and help you with your experiments, ya know?"

"You mean, be my sidekick?" Jonathan asked, blinking in surprise. The thought hadn't really occurred to him in a while. Back before she'd gone off the deep end, he had dreamed that she might help him pursue the power of fear. She was certainly the right type of person to do it- smart enough to understand what the experiments do and understand their effects, but wouldn't be disturbed by the subject's reactions.

"Yeah. That," Harley said, smiling a little. "I don't wanna go back yet."

That one word. _Yet._ It stung him like a slap across the face. It was just restating the obvious, but it still hurt.

Harley Quinn would _always _return to The Joker.

"Out of the question. I have no need for a sidekick," Jonathan crane said, waving the notion off. Why get attached to something that would simply disappear? It'd happened before, and Jonathan wasn't the type to let himself be burned twice.

Harley just pouted in response. Jonathan held in a bout of light laughter that rose up in his throat at the sight of the childish face. Some things hadn't changed.

"Why not work with Poison Ivy? I'm sure that she would like to break out of Arkham" Jonathan suggested. Harley's eyes brightened at the mention of her friend, and she smiled a little.

"Yeah… Red would like that," Harley said, her smile breaking into a grin. "But you've been so nice to me…"

"As I said, I have no need of a sidekick," He said, rolling his eyes. He then added, "Not that Poison Ivy does either," under his breath. The truth was that _nobody _needed a sidekick, but some were willing to humor Harley. Her dependency on others had always bothered Jonathan somewhat. She hated doing anything alone- always needing someone to be with her.

"I guess so..." Harley sighed, pouting. Jonathan felt a light bubble of laughter rise up at the sight of the petty face- one that he'd seen many times before.

Jonathan sat back in the old chair, listening to the wood creak under his weight..] He felt at peace, which was not something he generally felt.

He had a strange feeling that this foreign feeling was because of Harleen.

* * *

"Perhaps I could…" Harley muttered as she sat cross-legged on the floor of the farmhouse's living room. She was scribbling all over a blank piece of paper, trying to formulate a foolproof plan to break Red out of Arkham. She'd already memorized the hallways and the optimal ways of entering and exiting, but drawing plan was a good habit for when they changed the security.

She looked down at the map drawn in a vivid orange, which was the only working color of marker that Jonathan had been able to find in the farmhouse. She sighed and started to mark the most optimal path through the asylum.

Harley turned over the half-completed plan and started to scribble on the backside. Without even thinking, she sloppily drew The Joker's face. She sighed, staring at his smile without any expression as the fresh bruise on her cheek tingled. She scribbled the drawing out beyond recognition and doodled a ladybug instead.

She flipped the map back over and glanced at it again, noticing that she'd drawn smiles everywhere on it. She didn't remember adding them, but there they were.

_What is happening to me? _She asked, carefully striking each and every one of the smiles out.

Her mind was filled with laughter; his laughter. She couldn't think of anything else. A flood of sound, memories, pain… everything linked back to him in her mind.

The orange of the marker was like the colorful ties he wore. The wood beneath her legs felt like the old warehouses she was so used to being in. The red of the decrepit curtains looked like his smile to her.

_He's everywhere._

She glanced down, seeing the bruises and scars on her arms and hands. They were even harsher reminders that _he didn't care._

_He didn't care, but she did. She cared far too much._

Harley felt her heart begin to race and her breathing get shallow. _I can't get rid of him. He's there. He sees me. _

_Oh i love him, _She thought, closing her eyes, feeling a tear run down her cheek. The bruises on her arms tingled, and the cuts stung.

Everything hurt so much. She needed to escape. Anything. She just needed out.

Harley ran into the bathroom and let herself cry.

Jonathan Crane sat there, listening to her as she walked around the upstairs. Every once in awhile, he'd hear her singing, talking to herself, or giggling at some untold joke. But now, she wasn't laughing. He only heard sobs.

"Child?" he called up the stairs. he sighed and started walking up to see what was the matter. "Harley, do tell me what is wrong."

He was only answered with broken sobs and whines coming from behind the bathroom door.

"Harley? Is everything alright?" He asked, lightly rapping on the door. "May I come in?"

Something sounding similar to a yes was whined from behind, so he slowly opened the door, finding her sitting on the tile floor, clutching her legs between her arms as if it was her only anchor into the world. "Is everything alright, child?"

"I- I just…" Her words were breaking off as she shook on the ground. "I can't get rid of him. He's still there... " She shivered, and retreated even further into herself. "I don't know what to do." Her words came out as barely above a whisper.

"Do you need to talk about it?" He asked, gently placing a hand on her back.

"I've tried so hard…" She breathed in deeply.

"Come on, child. We'll go make some tea. We can talk it over there," he said, offering her his arm. Harley took it and stumbled down the stairs with him, still sobbing. "Here… sit down." He helped her sit at the old table, going to the stove to put a kettle on.

"I'm so sorry Jonny…" She said, wiping her face. "I-I just… I don't want to be a burden."

"You aren't being a burden, child," Jonathan said, sitting down next to her.

"I'd… I'd better go soon. Night is falling…" She stopped to inhale. "I'm gonna get Red outta there…"

"Not like this," he said, a little more sternly than he meant to. "You're emotionally unstable and are more likely to make a mistake."

"I'm fine.. I really am.." Harley said, her voice wavering. "i just…"

"Calm down child, calm down," he said, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. He didn't really know how to comfort her. "Do you want to talk it over?"

Harley made a noise that was somewhere between a whine and a whimper. "No…"

"Alright then. Please try to-" he glanced down, suddenly seeing a stain of dark red forming on her sleeve. "Harley, is that blood?" He asked, gesturing at her arm. She pulled it away, tears leaking down her face once more.

"Please, let me see. I want to get that treated, if it's bad," He said. Harley nodded and held out her arm. Crane gently grabbed it, pushing her sleeve up as carefully as he could. Her wrist had a long cut down it. Not deep enough to do much damage, but it needed treatment.

"Child..." Crane sighed, grabbing some tissues and wiping away the blood. "Is everything alright?"

"I-I need to... " She said, staring at the cut. "I need t-to control the pain. If I can control it, I feel better."

Crane thought of the other bruises that lay beneath the cut. They hadn't been inflicted by her. She didn't have control over those.

"I understand, Child, but you can't hurt yourself. Please, you're stronger than that," Crane said, looking at her. "I know that you are."

The kettle started boiling, so Jonathan got up and poured the boiling water into a mug.

"Thank you.. Jonny…" harley whimpered as she looked down in shame. "You've helped me so much… and all I do…" She cut off to breathe.

"Child, please get a hold of yourself. I'll dress your cut, and you calm down. You're doing fine," He said as he started steeping the tea.

He walked to the bathroom and took out some medical supplies. Walking back, he found Harley with her eyes closed looking very peaceful.

"Are you alright, child?" He asked, gently placing his hand on her shoulder to let her know he was there. She nodded, biting her lip to keep the tears back. "I'm going to put some antibiotics on the wound. It may sting a little," He said. "One, two, three.." He spread the cream over the wound, and Harley winced, but stayed in place. "Good girl. Now I'm going to wrap it and we'll be done." He said. He bound up the cut, and Harley started to breathe normally again.

"Thank.. you," She said quietly.

"You're welcome child. Did you cut yourself anywhere else?" He asked. She shook her head.

"I was going to…. but then you came," Harley said. "I get like this whenever this happens," She said. " can usually control it… but every once in awhile…" She broke of, her voice quavering. "I don't know what came over me. It was so sudden- I think I may kill myself one day over this. It's so stupid..."

"Nobody wants you to do that, child." Jonathan said hurriedly.

"I… I won't, Jonny." Harley smiled weakly at him, her eyes red and puffy and her cheeks still wet.

"I'll get your tea. You're doing well, child." Jonathan said, quietly. He grabbed the tea and a blanket and returned.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to leave right now, Child. Perhaps you should wait a couple of days until you go fetch Poison Ivy."

"Okay...' Harley paused and sipped at the tea. "Jonny, will you read to me?" She asked quietly. Jonathan raised his eyebrows and sighed.

"Okay, Harley. If that would help." He wouldn't normally agree, but he felt that the situation called for it.

* * *

Jonathan Crane held The Wizard of Oz in his hands awkwardly, unable to move without waking the sleeping Harley that leaned against him. She'd been asleep for some time, and all he could do was sit there, not quite willing to wake her up.

"I'm glad to see that you're feeling better child," he whispered, smiling a little at the peaceful expression on her face. "I know that you're stronger than that."


	4. Chapter 3

Harley woke up the next morning leaning against Dr. Crane's shoulder. He was sleeping with his head back against the moth-eaten couch, his glasses askew on his face. The wizard of Oz was still open on his lap. She giggled quietly and got up carefully, flinching when she put pressure on her wrist.

"Ouch… that's gonna be a pain, innit?" She whispered to herself. She walked into the kitchen, looking through the crooked cupboards. There was some bread, jam, and a ziplock bag with tea bags and coffee beans in one, and in another she found a grocery bag filled with pears and a box of matches. All the others had nothing but dust and cobwebs.

"Not much to work with here…" She said, looking about the decrepit kitchen. The sink was rusted, but filled with presumably clean water, and there was a small box of twigs next to the stove.

"They must've turned off the water and electricity in here," She said. "I mean… it is abandoned…" Harley sighed and grabbed the tea bags and the kettle.

_Hope this water really is clean, _She thought. _But I'm boiling it anyways. _She filled the kettle and grabbed some twigs and the matchbox.

It didn't take long for her to start a small fire. She kept adding tinder before hanging the kettle from the coat hanger. She smiled as the watched the flames dance around, almost touching the bottom of the kettle.

It was about half an hour later when Harley had the water boiling, as well as two pieces of only slightly burned toast and two sliced pears. She filled the mugs and put in the tea bags.

"Jonny?" She said quietly, walking up to him and shaking his shoulder. He groggily opened his eyes and rubbed them.

"Good morning, child," he mumbled, stumbling to his feet. "Did you just wake up?"

"A little while ago," She said back, grinning. "I made breakfast!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him along, proudly showing her work.

"Thank you, child." He didn't usually eat much but plain toast and coffee, but it was certainly a nice gesture. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I feel… a lot better," She said slowly, her smile fading. "Thank you…"

Jonathan Crane stayed silent. He looked at the table, where his costume sat, still unmended.

"i'll need to finish that soon," He mumbled as he sat down and sipped his tea.

"I can help you!" harley said, grinning. "I can mend it if you want,"

Jonathan raised his eyebrows at her and shook his head.

"You don't need to. I can do it."

"But.. I want to help! You've been helping me so much… I don't want to be a burden," Harley said, pouting. "Let me do _something._"

Jonathan nodded slightly.

_She has a dependency complex. _He noted, watching as she grabbed the costume and began to inspect it. _She wants to work with someone. That's why she always runs to another rogue when The Joker kicks her out._

"Thank you, Child."

"Can I help you with your experiments too?" harley asked, her face brightening up. "I don't even need to do something important- I can just take notes for you!"

"I-" He stopped and sighed. He wanted to say yes. So badly, did he want to say yes. He'd often dreamed that she and him could work together on something like that. It was a bad idea. It was a _really _bad idea. It wasn't that Harley couldn't do it or wouldn't enjoy it- it was the circumstances surrounding his test subjects.

He was paying Joker in potent chemicals to bring him one every three days. He only had three more test subjects before his agreement with Joker ended. He wasn't willing to let Harley see Joker. Not yet. He wasn't sure if the reasoning was because of her breakdown the night before, or his own selfish desires, but he knew that he wouldn't let her hurt herself again.

He cared far too much about her, and far too little about the rest of the world to let it hurt her ever again.

"No… you-" he stopped and frustratedly took off his glasses, starting to polish them. "Fear isn't your thing."

"You'd be surprised," she said quietly. "Emotion, by definition, is simply a reaction to one's surroundings. It's not too far of a leap between fear and joy. In fact, surprise and fear trigger the exact same emotion, but are simply processed differently based on our situations."

"Still a psychologist, I see," Jonathan commented, putting his glasses back on. His excuse was useless.

"Never gave it up! It's useful to know," she said.

Jonathan opened his mouth, an explanation on the tip of his tongue. _I can't let you help me because i don't want to see you hurt. There are certain circumstances that I can;t let you be part of._

_I can't lose you. Please trust me._

_I love you too much to see you hurt._

He shook his head and clothed his mouth, Telling her anymore would just bring up more questions. Questions he didn't want to answer.

* * *

It was rare for Jonathan to hear singing in his hideout.

He himself preferred to make as little sound as possible, but it really seemed as though Harley was the exact opposite. She would spend afternoons doing housework or other mundane things for Jonathan while she stayed with him, singing her little heart out.

Harley seemed fine, but Crane was staring to worry. He knew that her relative inactivity and lack of an alliance with a rogue would drive her up the wall sooner or later and he didn't want to see her break down again.

He'd toyed with the idea of letting Harley help him in his experiments, and finding some way around his Joker arrangement. He only had one more test subject from Joker. He ever so badly wanted her to help him and, perhaps, even decide that she liked it. Perhaps she'd decide to stay. Perhaps it's help her.

But he was also scared. Scared of rejection. If he got too used to her presence in his life, he'd only hurt more when she , he kept her as distant from himself as possible, just as he did with most people. The only difference was that keeping her distance was somehow painful to him.

At this point he'd completely given up denying it. He was completely and totally in love with Harley Quinn, and there was little he could do about it.

But now, as he listened to her bustling upstairs, singing, he knew that he had to let her do something more with him. She was beginning to retract again, he sense. He had to let her know that she mattered to him. He had to let her play to her own dependency.

Because if there was one person in all of Gotham that actually, truly mattered to Jonathan, it was Harley.

* * *

Harley sighed, rubbing the bandage around her wrist tiredly. She was getting restless, and felt ready to do something.

Her plan to get Red out of Arkham had been completely scrapped a few days ago when Poison Ivy go herself out. She'd used one of the little trees in the lobby as a weapon against the guards and was able escape quite nicely.

This was good and all for her friend, but it left Harley with nothing to do. There was nothing to plan for. Just a void ahead of her. She was bored, having no direction in her life.

She still wasn't sure if she wanted The Joker back yet. Sure, if she heard from him, she knew that she'd just fall in love all over again, but she was feeling conflicted over the matter.

A whole week. He hadn't called her in a whole week.

"Puddin'..." She whispered, feeling tears brimming in her eyes. She was filled with a volley of emotions. Anger, despair, fear, sadness... she didn't know how to feel about this. "You ain't done wit' me, are ya?" She laughed bitterly, staring at the bandage. "You really can shake me up..."

She bit her lip, wanting to call Joker herself, fix things then and there. If things went back to normal, she'd be rid of this instability. She'd have her old life back.

"Harley?" Jonathan called from below, making Harley smile.

She remembered how he'd read to her when she'd been so weak and fragile. He'd bandaged her wound and given her tea. He'd told her that she was strong.

It meant an awful lot to her, whether he knew it or not.

"Yeah? What is it, Jonny?" She called, running to the top of the staircase and sliding down the old banister. She landed, turning and facing him with an only half-faked grin.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," He said, standing up from where he had been sitting. "You've been awfully quiet for the last little while."

"I was just thinking," Harley explained, shrugging.

"I was wondering if you might like to... assist me as well..." He sighed, starting to fidget a bit more. "I really don't want you to feel trapped and I could use an assistant..." He trailed off, staring at his hands, almost pouting.

Harley's grin immediately turned genuine. She jumped up, practically knocking Jonathan down as she hugged him.

"Thank you!" She said. Jonathan stiffened as she hugged him, smiling slightly himself.

For several moments, nothing was said. Harley was simply happy that Jonathan had finally allowed her help. Jonathan was just happy to see the girl smile a real, genuine smile.

It was moments like these that Jonathan wanted to keep forever in his memory.


	5. Chapter 4

Mid-fall evenings are beautiful things. The stars shine as the moon rises over the dying world. A stark, chilly, breeze flies through the air, sending chills down every spine.

This kind of weather gave Jonathan Crane a sort of new life. It was his season. He walked briskly, anticipating the discoveries he was sure to make that night.

He also had to plan on how he would hide The Joker from Harley, and vice versa.

Harley was huddled into her coat, her cheeks quite red from the cold. Even her pigtails seemed to shiver as she sidled up closer to Jonathan, trying to steal even a hint of warmth. To keep up with his long legs, she was practically jogging.

"Are you cold, Child?" Jonathan asked, cracking a smile and slowing his pace slightly. He'd been so busy thinking about his next experiment, he hadn't even noticed before.

"Whaddaya think?!" Harley hissed, half muffled through the coat. "I _hate _the cold.

"We have a long winter ahead of us," Jonathan said simply, taking off his threadbare scarf and wrapping it around her face. Harley looked up at him, smiling. Her eyes shone brightly, bringing a spark of joy into Jonathan's heart.

"Thanks, Jonny. I appreciate it," She said. He just continued down the road, keeping his brisk pace_. _Harley again began to jog, wordlessly keeping pace with him.

They only had a short distance to go before they arrived at their destination.

* * *

Harley knew that they were getting close. Jonathan's pace was quickening as he approached a small building, in nearly as bad a shape as the farmhouse a mere mile down the road.

"That's it, there. I have a few solutions stored in there, and I had someone bring a subject tonight," Jonathan explained, pointing to the structure.

It must have once been a large tool shed or a small barn, looking at the exterior. Any paint it might have had was long worn off, leaving a grey-ish wood behind.

"Why didn't you pick a place closer to the farmhouse?" Harley asked, looking around. "Or use the farmhouse itself?"

"This is the nearest structure that didn't pose the possibility of my... our living quarters being flooded with fear toxin." Jonathan explained, helping Harley over the barbed-wire fence. As soon as he himself crossed the fence, he reached out and took her hand, placing a rough wad of cloth in her palm.

"What's..." She said, slowly opening the cloth.

It was a mask, similar to his own. A gas mask modified to look like the face of a scarecrow.

"I made that this morning. I figured that it'd be best if you came with some protection against the toxin..." He explained, pulling out his own.

Harley just stared at the mask in her hands. It was crude, but so was his. The smile stitched into the cloth was different than the kind that she was used to seeing everywhere, but still a strange comfort. Smiles were always good in her book, even when to instill fear.

The inside of the shed was cleaner than Harley was expecting. A dim light was hung up over the tables, illuminating the center of the room, but leaving large chunks near the corners completely dark.

"Do you use those corners to hide in or something?" Harley asked, wondering if they had a purpose.

"At times, yes. They can be used well for moving about unnoticed." Jonathan smiled under his mask, pleased with how well the crude 'laboratory' was able to work. It had a certain sort of charm that The Scarecrow persona really called for.

"And you said that a correspondent would be bringing a subject, right?" Harley asked. Her own mask was crooked, but it simply seemed _right _on her.

"Yes..." Jonathan said. "However, it seems they never showed up..." He sighed, looking around the room. There was no subject anywhere.

"Huh... I wonder if they got sidetracked..."

"Harl?" A sultry female voice said from behind them, hidden in one of the shadows.

"Red!" Harley practically shouted, hurling herself at her friend. "Why are you here?"

"I came to check on what remains of my babies,"The woman said, crossing her arms and scowling. "Most of them have been killed off while I was locked away."

"I'm sorry Red...' Harley sighed, beginning to twist one of her pigtails around nervously.

"Why are you here Harl? Shouldn't you be with..." Poison Ivy began to say before her eyes narrowed and the half-dead moss growing on the walls seemed to pulse a little.

"He didn't..." She scowled, gently taking Harley's arm and leading her out the door. "Excuse us for a moment, Crane."

* * *

"What did he do to you?" Poison Ivy asked, clenching her fists in anger.

She knew her friend, better than most anyone else. She'd seen the mostly faded bruises. She'd seen the fresh, but also well bandaged cut on Harley's wrist. She had seen the look in her eyes, even through that mask.

Why did Harley even have that Mask? What else had changed?

"Jonny, or Puddin'?"

"Both, but Joker first." Ivy demanded.

She'd met Joker driving some distance up the road, and had decided that a nice regrowth of some shrubbery was in order to box him in. It was a convenient way to pay off some old grudges.

She knew it also wouldn't take much convincing to make her go back and finish him off for good. It might even be therapeutic for her to be rid of him.

"He just... well.. He just kicked me out..." Harley explained, biting her lip. She'd taken the mask off now, showing her face to Ivy.

"That's not enough explanation. Did he hurt you, _at all_?"

"... Yes..." Harley said simply, bowing her head. "But it's okay... Jonny's been taking care of me since you were in Arkham and all..."

"I can see that. Why did you go to him, of all people?"

"I've worked with him before, and I thought I could trust him," Harley said. "Why do you need to know."

"Because I'm not going to let him hurt you to. How do you know he's not just taking advantage of you right now Harley?" Ivy asked, grimacing at the shed behind them. "He knows all about human emotions and knows how to manipulate them. He's a trained and skilled psychologist."

"So am I!" Harley said, defending herself and her friend."And he's not doing anything to hurt me! He's been helping me! He did this for me!" Harley said, brandishing the bandage on her wrist.

"I still don't trust him," Ivy said, narrowing her eyes. "He hasn't ever _really_ cared about anyone. He wants something from you, Harl, and I don't intend to let him use you."

"I don't think he is. He's been-" Ivy cut her off.

"Crane doesn't do charity. Ever. I don't know what gave you the idea that he'd help you out of the kindness of his heart, but that isn't true. He's after something, Harl. be careful. I don't like this, but I'm going to let you choose. If you want, you can come with me for a while, or you can stay with Crane. "

"Well, I'm going to stay with Jonny. He at least has the decency to listen to what I have to say!" Harley said, walking back with a huff.

"Harl I didn't mean t...' Ivy said, suddenly realizing what she'd accidentally done. She sighed, not wanting to make the rift worse. She was angry, and anger made her reckless. "I'll just have a little talk with Crane..." She sighed, following, Harley.

* * *

"Crane. A word." Ivy said standing in the doorway. Jonathan looked from Harley to Ivy.

He hadn't really expected her to return. In all honesty, he'd more than expected for the two of them to leave him alone again.

He walked towards Ivy, followed by Harley.

"Alone, Harley," Ivy said, crossing her arms impatiently and glaring at Crane.

"Anything you have to say to him, I should be able to hear too!" Harley said, huffing theatrically.

"Harley, please?" Jonathan asked, sighing. Harley nodded and sat down on one of the tables. "I'll be right back, Child."

Ivy led the way to a patch of nearby grass, crossing her arms and continuing to glare at him.

"Crane."

"Isley."

"I swear, if you do anything to harm Harl in any way, shape, or form, I _will _come by and I _will _find some way to kill you."

"Understood. I have no intention of harming Miss Quinzel."

"What do you want from her"

"Nothing," He said.

Ivy squinted at him, looking unconvinced.

"You have no need to use your pheromones. I promise that I am telling the truth."

"I know. That's what's bugging me." Ivy said, looking as though she were trying to burn two holes in Crane's face. "And I think I know the reason that you're helping her as well."

"The same one as you have, I'd suppose."

"W-what?" Ivy stopped glaring, instead looking shocked, almost fearful.

"Did you really think you could hide it from anyone who knows _anything _about how the mind works?" Jonathan teased, revelling in her sudden vulnerability. "Harleen knows too, no doubt. She really is a brilliant psychologist."

"What do you mean?' Ivy asked, still on the defence.

"You love her, don't you?"

"And you just admitted to the same."

"I know."

The two stared at each other for several moments, letting the silence sink in slowly. They'd never gotten along, but something clicked in their minds. Jonathan wasn't sure if it was hatred or understanding. Perhaps both.

"I have a question for you as well, Isely," Jonathan said after several moments.

"What is it?" Ivy said, getting tired of the game they were playing.

"Have you seen The Joker? He was supposed to bring a subject for me to work on today."

"Why in the world are you working with that... that...' Ivy asked all to a sudden, anger flaring into her voice. "I thought you wanted to _help _Harl!"

"I do. I set this up before she showed up, and never intended for her to see him. At all. I didn't even intend for her to help me in my experiments, but she… she needed to be here. I came here early so I could intercept him down the road when I heard his car approach, but he hasn't showed up yet."

"Let me take Harl with me," She said. "I can keep her safe, I promise."

"That is not a choice I can make. You'll have to ask her," Jonathan said. "I am not one to speak for another person. Now where is Joker? I really do need to conduct my test before the night gets too late."

Ivy cursed and crossed her arms. "He's up the road a bit, trapped in some box alder. I'll recover your 'subject' for you. Go stay with Harl."

* * *

Ivy was livid. She hated Joker, Scarecrow, the whole _dang _city around her.

But she couldn't hate Harley. Sure, the little harlequin wasn't listening to her at all, but she still couldn't. Harley's sudden trust of Jonathan worried Ivy. He was a man. He was a manipulative, macabre-obsessed, and intelligent man. He was dangerous. That was all there was too it.

She almost felt cheated. All those times that she'd thought of herself as the only person Harley would turn to, she'd been wrong.

She also knew it wasn't how she should feel. She'd never taken herself as a possessive person, so much as a protective one. What she was feeling was stemming from mistrust and hatred for Scarecrow and Joker, but another part of it was her love for Harley.

She also felt like it was almost her fault that Harley had been forced to turn to The scarecrow. She'd been wasting away in Arkham, instead of being present for her best friend. And now she was in the care of someone that Ivy _refused _to trust.

And now she wasn't ever going to be sure of when Harley would turn to her. The Scarecrow had obviously built up trust with her. Perhaps Harley wouldn't turn to Ivy right away the next time the Joker dumped her.

_If there even is a next time… _Ivy thought, hoping for that to be true. If Harley never did go back to Joker, it'd be a success in her eyes. Perhaps then she could cave his head in without worrying about hurting Harley in the process.

Even the thought of it was cathartic for her.

She approached where the box elder sat, a huge mass of branches and twigs descending into a thick cage. The car there was completely wrecked, never again to run. Good riddance. It was the worst kind of car; Hideous and inefficient.

And sitting calmly by the wreckage was The Joker, seemingly unfazed, and a battered man's body lying next to where he sat. He was still breathing, but several bad scratches on his arms indicated a rough crash.

"So nice to see you Ivy," Joker said, staring at her through the branches. Woodchips littered the ground at a place where he'd tried to use a small shard of metal to cut his way through the branches. "Whatever brings you back here? Oh wait! You obviously need a favor from me. You must deserve it too, especially after what you did to my car!"

"I need that man."

"I'm afraid our dear friend Scarecrow is the one who needs _him,_" Joker said, smiling.

"I _know_." Ivy's voice had switched to pure venom. She narrowed her vibrant eyes, staring the clown down.

"Ooooh! Touchy subject, I see. By the way, Have you seen Harl? She's obviously not with you, so I was just wondering."

"Shut up," Ivy commanded, clenching her fists. The cage of bare branches contracted for a second, shifting closer to The Joker. He just laughed, tilting his head back.

"Found a tender spot, didn't I?" He leered, moving closer to where she was, completely unafraid of the writing branches all around him. "Well, if you'll kindly release me, I'll get on my way to deliver this body. He's not dead, but he might be soon. Jonny had better act quick."

Ivy grimaced, stepping back. "Just give him to me and get back to town," she said.

"But _I _was asked to deliver, don't you see?" Joker laughed. "Besides, I want to see my little Harlequin. I _know _that she's there. I'm not a stupid man, y'know."

"Get out of here!" Ivy yelled, the branches closing in even tighter, reaching for Joker's neck. _It'd be so easy,_ she thought, staring at the stark white skin. _But I can't. _ "If you go anywhere near her, I will kill you," she hissed, letting the branches writhe around him, restricting his movement completely.

"You've threatened me with that before. I know you won't actually do it. Don't want to hurt the precious little Harley, eh?"

"Just give him to me and leave, Joker. You aren't welcome here. Jonathan would agree with me."

"Would Harley?"

Ivy glared at him, refusing to answer. "Get out of here."

The branches lifted, and the clown stepped out, dragging the man behind him. Ivy grabbed the battered man, hoisting him over her shoulders with ease.

"I'll be back for Harley soon. You can't keep her forever," he said, grinning. "You can't even keep her now, can you?"

"Get out." Ivy commanded, watching as the clown walked away, not a scratch anywhere on him.

She was going to kill him someday.


	6. Chapter 5

Harley was happy to see Jonathan returning, looking only mildly annoyed. Ivy didn't come with him, however.

"Where did Red go?" she asked, trying to look behind his lanky figure. Nobody was there.

"She went to go retrieve our subject. She had… stalled my correspondent." He said, sitting in a chair hidden in one of the dark corners. Harley hopped onto a bit of counter space next to him.

"And so we're just going to wait here?" Harley asked. "How long?"

"I don't know. She should be here soon. Then we can get to work." He pulled out a clipboard, placing it next to Harley. "These are a few of the effects i wanted to study…"

Harkey surveyed the table, seeing the scrawled handwriting that had filled in several of the boxes of information from previous experiments. The results varied wildly at first, ranging from death to no changes, but got steadily more predictable as they went.

"What did you change this time?" She asked,

"I increased the Ramnella Erinus content. It should provide a stronger reaction without increasing the lethality. At least, I hope it doesn't. I don't particularly want to find somewhere to hide a body today…"

Harley giggled. "No acid, Jonny?"

"I ran out last month.." he sighed. He didn't particularly like to talk about murder. While he couldn't say he was fully clean, he avoided it when he could. It was unnecessary and rather gruesome.

Besides, what is fear when one is dead?

It was simply that the last batch of tests he'd tried had been rather deadly and he didn't have the time or money to buy an acid strong enough and in a large enough volume.

Harley smiled, handing the clipboard back to him. "I've always just tossed 'em into the harbor, cut them in pieces, or burned them."

"Obvious, traceable, and dangerous. besides, burning them is pungent," Jonathan said, crinkling his nose.

"But more fun," Harley pointed out.

"If that is your cup of tea, I suppose." Jonathan sighed, rubbing his temples. He'd forgotten how much she'd changed around Joker. Or maybe it'd always been there, and he'd just uncovered them. She'd always been a little strange, but that's what made her so interesting.

"What did Ivy need to tell you?" Harley asked, leaning in closer.

"Nothing other than what was expected… she was going to kill me if I hurt you in any way and such," Jonathan relied, stiffening at her nearness. He didn't like where this conversation was going.

Harley giggled, scooting closer. "I know that wasn't all. I heard you two talking."

Jonathan sighed. He'd had his suspicions that Harley would do as such. She never was one to passively wait. She was impulsive. Still, it irked him. He liked his private matters to remain private.

He'd never ever planned on her finding out. It was supposed to remain as a secret. He could ignore it before… but now, that'd be difficult.

"Child…" he said, rubbing his temples. "I wish you wouldn't have listened."

"It's alright, Jonny!" Harley said, smiling brightly. "I really don't mind." She scooted even closer. Jonathan moved away in response, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. He hated it.

She was going to leave him no matter what. The more he got attached, the more it'd hurt later on when she was ripped away. He couldn't avoid the facts anymore.

"Harley please don't…" Jonathan said. He hadn't felt so weak in such a long time. He felt like a child again.

Harley pouted and stood up. "Fine. You know that you're no fun, right?" She pulled on her mask and laughed. "But in a good way." Jonathan nodded and put his mask on, trying to think. He had to do the test and figure out his own situation.

Awkward silence hung over the little shed for several moments as the two stared at each other, they're masks covering any emotions with a stitched grin. Jonathan felt safer behind the scratchy burlap. Scarecrow had always given him strength when he needed it most.

The door slammed open, barely even getting time to creak. "I brought you your stupid subject. He's waking up, so you may want to restrain him as fast as you can," Ivy said as she walked through, a full-grown man thrown over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Your correspondent went home, by the way. You don't need to worry about them anymore."

"Well, child, shall we get to work?" Jonathan asked, nodding in thanks to Poison Ivy before pulling on his mask.

* * *

Harley felt distracted. She'd heard things she wasn't meant to hear. It was exhilarating.

She hadn't felt this excited since her last heist with The Joker.

All she could think about was the words confirming what she believed.

_"You love her, don't you?"_

_"And you just admitted to the same."_

She'd known for some time about Ivy's feelings. She didn't mind at all. Ivy was her best friend, and she sometimes played with the idea of dating her. Then again, it was often useful to use it to her advantage. She could manipulate Ivy easier than most people.

But it seemed like Ivy wasn't alone.

Harley had never really seem the same thing in jonathan that she had in Ivy. Lingering glances and soft smiles that he lended nobody else, of course…. but she'd always chalked that up to their odd friendship. He had always been a lonely person, and she'd always figured that she was one of his only friends.

But now that she thought about it, he never acted that way around Jervis or Edward. Just her.

This new information was strange, but welcome to her.

"Child?" The Scarecrow's voice sounded different. Scratchier and more distant behind his stitched facade. "Will you restrain him while I prepare the toxin?"

"Right on it Mistah S!" She said, laughing. The man was just beginning to wake up from his stone-cold slumber, mumbling incomprehensible words.

Scarecrow stiffened at his new nickname, pausing for just a second before returning to work.

Harley watched as Jonathan worked. It had been some time since she had been actively engaged in any sort of psychological experiment.

The last one she'd done had probably been back in college, and that had been a simple, supposedly harmless, test on her two roommates. It had been playing with positive affirmation and words.

It was simple, choose a word, and smile or nod every time they say that word.

Harley had loved watching how the occurrence of the word of their boyfriends was used more and more until they'd both eventually gotten engaged.

She'd also had fun reversing this process and watching their relationships spin out of control and end. One of her roommates had ended up failing two of her classes as a result, but that didn't affect Harley anyways. She saw it as revenge for that girl never doing her dishes.

These tests were right up her alley. The subject was restrained and barely coming too. The first thing he saw was Jonathan, standing in front of him. Harley waited behind.

"Why are there-" He began to exclaim. Harley clamped her hands over his mouth, muffling a scream.

Harley smiled underneath the burlap mask. This was going to be _fun._

* * *

"Harley?" Jonathan asked. Harley cracked her eyes open, happy to see sunlight streaming through the boarded up windows. How long had she been sleeping?

After the test last night, she'd been exhausted. It was probably almost noon now…

Leave it to ol' Jonny to wake up early, no matter what.

"Hiya Jonny!" Harley said, getting up and leaping to the staircase. He stood below, holding a cup of steaming coffee. "What time is it?"

"Eleven Thirty…" He mumbled. "I was starting to get worried about you… Are you feeling alright."

"Yeah… I suppose so…" She looked down at him.

She had a killer migrane on the way.

"I didn't… like, breathe any fear toxin fumes, did I?" She asked. "I'm not hallucinating or anything, but my head hurts like mad today…"

"The mask should have protected you…" Jonathan said, slowly approaching her, cautiously. He seemed… almost afraid of her.

"Did I get drunk? No… I remember getting to bed…" She sighed, taking the coffee cup from him.

It was bitter as heck. She wasn't surprised. Just like him.

"Are you okay?" She asked. He was watching her carefully. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No… no…" Jonathan sighed. "I just…"

"It's _that, _isn't it?" harley looked at him. He nodded. She smiled weakly. "I'm sorry… I just was tired of being handled like… well like a porcelain doll. I wanted to know what you were saying about me. And I _knew _it was about me… so I snuck out after you…"

Jonathan stayed silent.

"I don't mind, Jonny…" She said. "I really don't…"

"I mind," he mumbled. "I mind an awful lot. I missed my chance and i've regretted it ever since…"

"You've regretted…" Harley said, closing her eyes and holding her hand to her throbbing forehead. "I gotta sit down…"

Jonathan just nodded and helped her sit down on the couch that she had been sleeping on just minutes ago.

"Thanks…" Harley breathed out, trying to dispel the headache. Where had it come from? Maybe there had been a leak in her mask and that had caused it. That seemed to be by far the most probable explanation. All she knew was that now her thoughts were scattered everywhere.

"Child… are you alright?" Jonathan asked.

"No…" Harley groaned. "My head feels awful…. It's like I've got a hangover or something…"

"I wonder if the exposure to the new chemicals affected you negatively…" he said, tapping his fingers against the wall. "I could try giving you the anti-dote, but it isn't likely to have much of an effect so long after the exposure."

Harley just nodded, closing her eyes. It felt a bit better when all she saw was darkness. The light felt a little too harsh.

"I'll let you rest… we'll talk later…" Jonathan said, standing up suddenly.

"No… I'm fine. Stay, please," She said. "I want to get this sorted out. I know that you're mad at me…"

Jonathan sighed and reluctantly sat down again. He crossed his arms stubbornly, already looking exasperated and annoyed.

Harley giggled and leaned against him for support.

"I think you already know my side of the story, so go on ahead."

"Is this really necessary, child?" he asked. "I think you already know mine."

Harley just laughed and nodded. "Yeah… I guess I do. Then why do we keep pretending like something's wrong? There's nothing wrong…" She smiled halfheartedly and shook her head. "The truth is, I like you a lot too, Jonny."

"You do?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "I'm afraid that I feel inclined to doubt you Harley."

"Why?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Because you love The Joker," He said plainly. "I know your cycles- you're looking for a replacement until he wants you back."

Harley pouted and nodded. "Maybe… but that doesn't make it any less valid, does it? I like you Jonny, honest truth."

He sighed and nodded. "Harley. Please. Let's forget this happened. I know that this can't end well. I'd prefer it to never begin."

Harley scooted closer. "We can play pretend, you know. That way, you can get exactly as committed as you want, and I can do the same. You don't have to get attached if you don't want to."

Jonathan turned and looked her in the eye skeptically. "Harley, this is a bad idea."

"That's why I like it!" She said, giggling. She smiled for a second before resting her head on his shoulder. "I think it'd help us both, though. You can rest, knowing that I like you, and I know I'll do better if I pretend like we're dating. You give me a reason to want to stay. Maybe I'll get over Joker."

Jonathan utterly melted. He wasn't sure what it was, whether it was the feeling of her head resting on his shoulder, her soft voice saying that _she liked him, _or even just the word 'stay'. H eknew it was all hopeless- she was trying to manipulate him into saying yes.

But some part of him really wanted her to stay.

"I'll think about it," he said softly.

He wanted to think about it when she wasn't there to cloud his judgement. Not that it mattered. He'd cloud his own.

All that really mattered to him was that one word. _Stay. _

It may have been an empty word, but Jonathan felt, or perhaps simply hoped, that it was a real thing. That perhaps she was willing to try.

If nothing else, he just wanted to help her with that.


	7. Editing News

Hi! If you're been waiting on the editing news, here it is! If you haven't, then worry not, and feel free to skip this message. Or read it if you want. It doesn't matter much.

I have now (finally) gone through and finished editing all the old chapters! Yaaaay!Anyways, it's mostly the same, with some added dialogue bits and little scenes. None of which are important except for one.

The stuff at the end of Ch. 5 is actually 100% new, and sets up the plot I have planned for the rest of the story.

Anyways, there are a lot less chapters now, but it is actually longer. I added a bunch of little scenes here and there, but condensed the chapters into a smaller amount so that they are much larger on average.

Here's my plan or the rest of the story, which should be 4-5 more chapters, if all goes as planned. If one ends up oddly short, i might make it only 3, or if there;s too much, it may grow longer. It depends on what I focus on, so i need to feel out what I'm doing a little bit more before I know for sure.

Anyways, because the chapters are a lot longer (averaging around 2,000 words,) I'm not entirely sure how often I'll get to post. I write a lot more often than I used to, but I'm working on several different projects at the time being. I also have the SATs coming up in April, so I probably won't be able to write much until after that. I'm hoping to get the next chapter or two out in mid-late April, and possibly the last ones in May and June, but I may need to push things into summer to make room for finals and the like.

I'll be sure to keep you all posted. Welcome to about halfway though Your Worst Nightmare, and here's to a hopefully solid finish! Thank you all so much for your kind words about this story. It really means the world to me.

-Kristen Barnes


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